London Calling [H.S.]

Real Love (Regina Spektor)

Annie

"Seriously? Who cares what I wore last night? There is an entire article analyzing my choice of clothing for a debut. That was not a debut. That was your birthday party and I was a hungover mess. I think I looked pretty damn good for being as big of a mess as I was."

"I think you looked beautiful. Why are you obsessing over this?" Harry asked as he came out of the bathroom in just his towel. We had both taken showers to get ready for brunch before a busy day. Kim and Nate were house hunting. Niki and I were shopping. Lots of food, friends, and football were ahead for us. He laid down next to me in bed where I'd ended up in just my bra and panties on my laptop for the 5,000th time today.

"I'm not obsessing over it. I just sort of like looking to see how you smile at me." I tilted my head back kissing him.

"Can't help but smile at you baby. It's a natural reaction." He kissed me again sliding my laptop away from me. "Now step away from the computer. You looked beautiful last night. You look beautiful right now. Do we have to go spend time with everyone? We should just stay in bed all day."

"We can't. We need to be at brunch soon. We are both already at risk of making us very, very late. Lizzy will have my head if I don't make the food she's been asking for all week." I leaned up to kiss him, smiling against his lips. "Get off of me."

"Don't want to."

"Need to." At that moment my phone started ringing. Harry reached for it seeing that it was Kim. "Hey," I answered.

"Hey, what time are we meeting for brunch?" I looked at the clock. It was 9:15.

"We all agreed on 10. We are moving a bit slowly over here," I said laughing. "I evidently am the most read story on some gossip blog."

"It's because you keep clicking that link and looking at yourself," Harry mumbled before resting his head on my chest. I ran my fingers through his wet hair.

"Seriously?" she asked.

"Yeah, some article posted this morning saying that Harry got a new girlfriend for his birthday. Pictures from the last week. Even some of all of us out at World's End last weekend." I wasn't sure how Kim would react to that. She was with Nate now and incredibly happy. I don't want some picture of her weekend with Niall to come back and haunt her. Or Niall for that matter, he left the house with Niki's hand in his and I got no text letting me know either of them made it home okay.

"Seriously? How are you handling that?"

"I'm okay with it. He looked cute last night and for as hungover as I was I didn't look completely terrible. But some people aren't saying the nicest things. I'm evidently ancient and some American gold digger."

"Well he knows you aren't. You know you aren't. His family and friends know you aren't. Don't worry about it. Though I'm sure that's easier said than done," Kim said.

"It is. Except that he's only in his towel right now. They can call me whatever they want. I'm the one in his bed. Not them. And some of them are nice. I've evidently got great hair and make him look happy."

"You do," Kim and Harry both said simultaneously.

"Okay. I'm making him get ready. 10:00 brunch. Are you taking a taxi over here?" We'd decided on brunch in Hampstead since that's where Kim and Nate were starting with houses."

"Actually Lizzy sent us home with her car last night so we had it for today. We are going to leave here in a little bit. Nate is going to go car shopping this week and get something for us to have in the city so that his car can stay at his flat in Cambridge."